South Korea Blackout Risk Rises

The South Korean government is desperately trying to reduce the country’s power consumption over the next few days as scorching summer heat compounds power supply issues, raising the risk of rolling blackouts.

Power consumption has risen in lockstep with summer temperatures, which are expected to eclipse 35 degrees Celsius. “This is a very critical situation where, in case just one power generator gives way, we may have to resort to rolling blackouts like those executed on Sept. 15, 2011,” the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a statement on Sunday, referring to the first deliberate blackouts South Korea implemented in memory.